The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-10

ANDERSON, S. G., August 9, 1887.
Mr.. EDITOR: At the last CANVASS for
legislative honors, every candidate upon
the hustings promised to support Bill
referring the issue as to the sale of intox'
icants to the voters of the County.
According to our promise such Bill
was drafted, a meeting of the delegation
called, The draft amended, and submitted
to the Senate. They amended and
passed it, and sent it to the House, where
it was referred to the Anderson and Lau-
rens delegation as special Committee
to examine and report on.
On December 14th this Committee
through their chairman, Col. J. N.
Brown, made q favorable report.
On December 21st this Bill came up,
was read by Sections, amended and
passed, every one Of tie anderson Delega-
ton voting for ii. The Bill was finally
passed by the House, approved by the
Governor, and is now the Law of South
Carolina.
The question is, what does this Act
submit to the people of Anderson
County? Simply this: Whether the
voters of Anderson County desire the
licensing of the sale of Intoxicating
liquors, as a beverage, in the County or
not.
We hope the voters will remember the
issue submitted to them, and vote for
licensing the sale of liquor, or against it,
as they may conclude is best for them.
selves, their neighbors, their country and
their religion.
Maj. Murray has been elected to rep.
resent this County in the State Senate
for four years, and he has three years yet
to serve. He is not the issue, but whis.
key is. Hence you only deceive your
self by saying you are temperance
man, but can't endorse the Murray Bill,
because you don't like him. Do not
muddy the waters; you know the issue
is license or no license for the sale of
&hiskey in the County. The Bill may
not be perfect, but in applying it all
rough places will be discovered, and
altered to suit the wishes of the people.
Nearly every Bill passed by any legisla.
tive body has to undergo this trimming,
amending, &c. You may remember that
for about ten years thirty-two Probate
Judges in South Carolina sold the real
estate of intestates, before the Supreme
Court made the law plain, showing they
had no right to sell land.
The Bill allows every man not convict.
ed of a disqualifying crime to register and
vote. This is fair, for it geta right down
to the will of the people.
1t allows every one to keep, drink and
give away as much liquor as he wants at
home and all places in the County,
except his place of business; thus
attempting to prevent merchant from
selling toothpick, box of matches, or
some other thing of little value, and
throwing in drink of liquor.
1t does not prevent the sale or manu-.
facture of domestic wines, thus encourag-
ing the growth of grapes and the manu-
facture of domestic wine. Our people
will soon be yine.growing and a wine
drinking people if this Bill passes, be-
cause they cannot readily get stronger
drink. After carefully reading all the
sections can you, as temperance man;
declare against all the good in this Bill {?
l think not, and if by your vote you
fasten on our people the sale of liquors
as a beverage, then your Representatives
have erred in making prohibition more
of fact than the people wanted it. 1t
is your Bill, and you have right TO dis.
pose of it as you please.
Remember that the vendors of liquors,
as we'll as all others who derive an in
come from it, will claim (if they win)
the right to sell liquors as decided BY
your votes. Local option, when followed
to its logical conclusion, is good for any
political body, large or small, village.
town, city and County. Now, if a
County has right to determine her in
ternal police system, then she has the
right to determine it for the whole Coun.
ty, and every part and parcel of it. Just
as much right as the city has to deter.
mine it for every ward. The County,
and every part of it, is taxed to pay the
costs incidental to the prevention and
punishment of crime in every part and
parcel of her territory and I believe
that it is conceded that the sale of liquor
as a beverage tends largely to promote
the commission of crime. Then let all
who are 30 directly affected by the sale
have voice in the granting of licenses.
I have not the time nor the space to dis
cuss each Section of this Bill, but hope
the people will read it for themselves and
vote for it, believing, as do that it will
be for the best interests of the County.
Respectfully,